carhop

Thân thiện

A carhop delivers a tray of food to a car at a drive-in restaurant.

Definition

Noun: A carhop is a waiter or waitress who serves food and drinks to customers in their parked cars at a drive-in restaurant. This role was especially common in the mid-20th century.

Usage

The word carhop specifically refers to the service staff member. It is a compound noun formed from "car" and "hop" (an old slang term for a waiter). It is used as a countable noun.

Examples

• The carhop brought our burgers and milkshakes on a tray that attached to the car window.
• In classic American drive-ins, a carhop would often wear roller skates to serve customers more efficiently.
• We tipped the friendly carhop for her excellent service.

Advanced Usage

• The term is strongly associated with a specific era and style of American roadside dining culture.
• While historically common, the role of a carhop is now rare, often preserved in nostalgic or themed restaurants.

Variants and Related Words

• Drive-in (noun): The type of restaurant where carhops work.
• Server, Waiter, Waitress (nouns): More general terms for a person who serves food; a carhop is a specific type of server.

Synonyms

• Drive-in waiter
• Drive-in waitress
• Server (in the specific context of a drive-in)

Antonyms

• There is no direct antonym, but contrasting roles include dine-in waiter or chef.

Related Phrases/Idioms

• To work as a carhop: To have the job of a carhop.
  • My grandmother worked as a carhop during the 1950s.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a waiter at a drive-in restaurant